Running out of inspiration? Well, here are 10 insanely creative mobile photography ideas that all mobiographers need to try, right now! They’ll blow your mind, wow your followers and here’s the the best part: they can all be done in only 3-4 steps! Whether you want a trendy new Facebook profile pic, an artistic idea to print on canvas and frame, or just a snappy image to post on Instagram, we’ve got you covered.

1. Take a Trip Back to the Sixties

Everything was better back then: the music, the cars, even the pictures. That’s why the most common – yet still effective and beautiful – technique is to make your image look “old school,” often meaning a sort of 1960s film grain and a soft, oversaturated fade. Use this easy technique to give your image that Midnight Cowboy kind of vibe.

2. Unique Selfie Portraits

Forget the traditional selfie! We’ve seen your duck lips and hot dog legs time and time again. Instead, get artistic! How about a hipster-y image that looks like it was sketched in pencil? Or, try a cartoon image with bold colors? It’s easy! You can even use this tutorial to give yourself the tattoo you always wished you’d gotten.

3. Use Tilt Shift to Show a Broader Perspective

Tilt shift is a great way to drastically reimagine an image. It’s particularly effective for landscape photos, where it makes cars and buildings seem, well, like toys.

Hey, what’s the big idea? Bring out your inner gumshoe in this tribute to Robert Rodriguez’s 2005 neo-noir classic. Or let’s say you’ve snapped an awesome picture. But now you want to make it partially black and white, while also keeping just one segment in color. Mobiographers rejoice – it’s simple! And here’s how.

Everyone knows how Banksy got his start — now it’s your turn. Besides, Enlight is way cleaner than spray paint.

10. Let’s Get Textual

Feeling wordy? Use this trendy tutorial to add some neat text to a trippy selfie. Once you’ve mastered that step, take a crack at this advanced tutorial that combines words and birds – or any other image you’d like. How ‘bout a Whitman-esque bearded portrait, comprised of Leaves of Grass?! It’s way intertextual, and it’s crazy easy.

Now that you have these ten creative ways to achieve Instagram awesomeness, go out and snap away! Anyone with an iPhone can be a world-class mobiographer – all it takes is some imagination and clever uses of imagery and your photo editing tools. But why are you still here, reading, when you could be out there creating? Instagram fame awaits!

David LeShaw

David is a freelance writer, and is often found at www.siliconspatula.com, where he writes about tech, business, and food, and the delicious times they coincide. In his spare time, he enjoys running marathons and traveling.